When all is well with Yuvraj Singh, he hits the ball as clean and long as it has ever been hit. When all is not well, he looks so awkward you forget he can hit the ball clean and long. All has been well with Yuvraj more often in limited-overs cricket, where he can be effortless and brutal at the same time, than in Tests, though his form and consistency has been on the decline since his comeback following a recovery from a rare form of germ cell cancer in 2012. When he started off, though, his athleticism on the field and his canny left-arm spin made him a key one-day player as Indian cricket went through a makeover at the turn of the century.

Yuvraj's father, Yograj, who played one Test for India, was what Mike Agassi was to Andre. So obsessed was he with Yuvraj's cricket that he took a skating gold medal off his young son's neck and threw it out of the car. "From now on, you are going to play cricket." And from then on he has played cricket. The major shift came when, at 15, he carried kitbags in crowded local trains, living away from his parents and a luxurious life in Punjab. At 18 he was shredding a strong Australian attack, in only his second ODI, in the Champions Trophy in 2000.

Soon Yuvraj would become India's middle-order lynchpin, forming fruitful partnerships first with Rahul Dravid and then with MS Dhoni. Both batsmen, superb ODI operators in their own right, credited their success to Yuvraj's ability to score at will. Testament to Yuvraj's importance is that when he was dropped from the ODI side in 2010, it was the first such occurrence since he cemented his place in the Indian team. His ODI career is full of highlight reels, with the biggest impact being his contribution to India's World Cup triumph in 2011 - 362 runs, 15 wickets, and four Man-of-the-Match awards, and the Player of the Tournament. That put to shade even his awesome achievement in the World T20 triumph in 2007, where he famously hit a Stuart Broad over for six sixes.

However, his limitations have manifested themselves in Tests, where he has struggled both against the seaming and swinging ball, and quality spin. Apart from three shining innings - a sparkling century on a Lahore greentop, another from 61 for 4 against Pakistan, and an unbeaten 85 in a successful chase of 387 in Chennai - his Test career doesn't have much to write home about.

The World Cup win in 2011 was the biggest moment of his cricket career, but soon after that came the biggest challenge of his life, when he was diagnosed cancer which required a two-and-a-half month treatment in the USA. He returned home after completing his chemotherapy in April 2012, fairly confident that he could resume his duties on the cricket field reasonably quickly and in August he was named in India's squad for the World T20 in Sri Lanka.

In January 2013, poor form and fitness led to his ouster from the team. But a visibly slimmer and fitter Yuvraj emerged from a training stint in France in October and hit an unbeaten 35-ball 77 in a T20I against Australia on his comeback. But lack of consistency meant he was out of the ODI mix after the tour of South Africa in December 2013.

Even as his form dipped, Yuvraj continued to be a hot pick at the IPL auction, picking up contracts worth over a million dollars in 2014 ($2.33 million or Rs 14 crore to RCB), 2015 ($2.67 million or Rs 16 crore to Delhi Daredevils) and 2016 ($1.04 million or Rs 7 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad). The hype surrounding him didn't transcend onto the cricket field, however, and the low point was a laboured 21-ball 11 in the final of the 2014 World T20 which resulted in India losing momentum and eventually the title to Sri Lanka.

In January 2016, he made yet another international return, in Australia, for the T20 stretch leading into the World T20, where a twisted ankle curtailed his tournament. He hadn't had a great time at the World T20, his 52 runs coming at an average of 13.00 and a strike rate of exactly 100, and at 34, his international future seemed in doubt.

A splendid 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season - 672 runs at 84.00 - brought him back into contention, however, and the selectors recalled him to the ODI squad - for the first time since December 2013 - for the home series against England in early 2017.Sidharth Monga

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Timeline

January 2000 Making an early impression

Yuvraj Singh's talent is spotted fairly early and he makes a mark in India's Under-19 World Cup triumph in Sri Lanka in 2000. He makes 203 runs at 33.83 and also impresses with his left-arm spin. Less than a year later, he is a part of the national team.

October 2000 Grabbing the limelight

Yuvraj hits the headlines in just his second ODI when the Indian team is emerging out of the match-fixing crisis under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. Against Australia in the quarter-final of the ICC Knockout Tournament, Yuvraj blazes to 84 off 80 balls in a memorable win.

August 2001 Recovery after a slump

Yuvraj is unable to live up to expectations after that tournament and experiences a decline before fighting back with an unbeaten 98 against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Despite the odd success here and there, Yuvraj struggles for consistency and is dropped. He makes a return in the ODI series against Zimbabwe at home, and strikes successive fifties to seal his comeback.

July 2002 Delight at Lord's

In one of India's finest moments in ODI cricket, Yuvraj, who made 69, and Mohammad Kaif combine to hand their team a thrilling two-wicket win while chasing 325 in the Natwest Series final against England at Lord's. It also seals Yuvraj's place in the ODI team for good.

February-March 2003 A first senior World Cup

Yuvraj has a decent World Cup in 2003, helping India beat Pakistan in the league stage in one of the most watched games of the tournament. He then follows up with a half-century in a tough situation against Kenya in the Super Sixes.

In another landmark performance, Yuvraj sizzles at the SCG with a blistering 139, smashing 16 sixes and two sixes against the hosts. It is, however, in a losing cause.

March-April 2004 Success in Pakistan

Yuvraj promises aplenty with his performance in India's victorious Test series in Pakistan, with a half-century in Multan, a stand-out maiden century in tough conditions in Lahore and a useful 47 in the final game in Rawalpindi. It also marks the beginning of a string of fine performances against Pakistan.

January-February 2006 Another ton in vain

Yuvraj excels in a hopeless cause for India, making 122 against Pakistan in Karachi when asked to chase 607. There is a turn of fortunes for the team in the ODI series that follows, and Yuvraj shines again with scores of 39, 82*, 79*, 37 and 107*.

An agonising defeat for India as they are beaten by one run in Kingston by West Indies. Yuvraj stars with 93 and with two needed off three balls he is deceived by a slower delivery by Dwayne Bravo to be bowled and hand the hosts a thrilling win. That defeat ends a run of successes while chasing targets in ODIs, and India go on to lose the series 4-1.

March 2007 World Cup disappointment

India are beaten by Bangladesh in their opening game where Yuvraj makes 47, and are knocked out by Sri Lanka against whom he is run out for 6.

September 2007 Six balls, six sixes

In the inaugural World Twenty20, Yuvraj enters the record books, smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over. He followed up with a match-winning 70 against Australia in the semi-finals that put India on the road to a historic title win.

Yuvraj strikes four fifties in five games during the ODI series and scores 169 to rescue India from a difficult position in Bangalore.

November-December 2008 A memorable duel against England

There is more success in Tests for Yuvraj, who supports Sachin Tendulkar in a match-winning stand to chase down 387 to win India the Test in Chennai. There is much to cheer for in the ODIs as well, where he strikes consecutive tons in Rajkot and Indore.

March 30 2009 Keeping the lead intact

Yuvraj scores a quick, unbeaten 54 in the second innings of the Napier Test against New Zealand to help India save the game after following on. India preserve their lead and go on to win the series 1-0.

Yuvraj is dropped from the Asia Cup following the team's return from the World Twenty20 in West Indies. Lack of form, disciplinary reasons and fitness are talked of as the reasons for his exclusion, but he makes a return for the series against Sri Lanka.

September 20, 2010 Dropped from the Test squad

With Suresh Raina scoring a century on Test debut and Cheteshwar Pujara making a compelling case for higher honours with his consistent first-class performances, Yuvraj is dropped from the Test squad for the two-match series against Australia.

Feb 19 - Apr 2, 2011 The redemption

A dream World Cup for Yuvraj, as he scores 362 runs - including one centuries and four fifties - takes 15 wickets, wins four Man-of-the-Match awards, and is also Player of the Tournament. In the process, he becomes the first allrounder to score 300-plus runs and take 15 wickets in a single World Cup.

Less than a year after the World Cup high came the news of a malignant tumour between his lungs. Yuvraj went to the USA for treatment and returned in April 2012, fairly confident of returning to top-level cricket.